Sure, if you boot a Windows recovery image, you can do that: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-bootrec-exe-in-the-windows-re-to-troubleshoot-startup-issues-902ebb04-daa3-4f90-579f-0fbf51f7dd5d

Similarly, in Linux, I've seen issues like a chown/chmod gone wild that fucked the system file permissions enough that reinstalling is the easiest course of action.

Yep I'm well aware. I jumped on the Linux train awhile ago. It's so freeing.

I remember when you could uninstall Internet Explorer on your own as a regular ass user. Now? Get rekt idiot you're stuck with Edge on your system and we're gonna regularly reset it as your default browser.

What hardcore Linux users don't seem to really get is this: The vast majority of people who need to use computers simply do not care about anything you just said. They absolutely don't. They simply want to press a button to boot the device, use the apps they need and maybe even play a game and that's it. That is what Windows does for them.

The average user is overwhelmed when the desktop icons have been moved.

I love Linux and it is on a great way to being used by a wider audience and it's great it provides the freedom it does. But it still has its quirks that makes it too hard to use for 95% of users.